Recap SXSW: Day 3 (03/15) — Interview w/ Drop The Lime!

It’s hard to get around when you leave your ID in the back of a taxi cab. I was turned away from Beso Cantina (sadly no Body High expo for me…) and a number of smaller bars, but not before I managed to “charm” — or “plead,” depending on your perspective — my way back into Lustre Pearl to see Drop The Lime’s new live act. Accompanied by drummer DQ and multi-instrumentalist Kaicee, Luca Venezia set aside the turntables for the night in exchange for a gleaming, silver-and-black guitar and a little sample pad…

And I gotta say, it was awesome. Probably the best set I’ve yet seen at SXSW. They played with a pure, infectious enthusiasm that so many others merely imitated. Rolling through covers as well as “Hot As Hell” (music video below), “Devil’s Eyes,” and “Shake Baby Shake,” Drop The Lime and company had Lustre Pearl roaring for more. They even riffed on Ennio Morricone’s theme from “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” and closed with a cover of The Boss’s “State Trooper.” You can’t rock harder than that.

I caught up to Luca and co. after the show to talk about their live act, look into what’s next with Trouble & Bass, and to laugh. A lot. Check the transcript of the interview below!

Interview With Drop The Lime

Luca tears it up.

TNP: Alright, so this is Dave from TNP. I’m standing here outside Lustre Pearl with Drop The Lime and his band. How’s it going, guys?

Luca: FANTASTIC!

DQ: ‘Sup!

Kaicee: Yeah!

TNP: Great show tonight, freakin’ awesome. I was actually sittin’ there, lots of people coming up to me going, “Hey, who are these guys?” And I told them, “This guy used to be a DJ and now he’s killing Rockabilly!” [Band laughs] How did that happen?

Luca: I’ve always had a love for Rockabilly, my parents have been playing it forever, since I was a child. It’s just always been in my blood; like Rockabilly, Blues, Rock in general, ’50’s Rock… I started playing guitar at 7.

TNP: So what made you go from Rock to DJing and then back again?

Luca: Honestly, going to rave parties. I was always in bands and I started going to rave parties and was like,”Fuck the guitar, I’m gonna DJ!” [Laughs] It’s crazy! It’s amazing! Like, play crazy, clubby tunes and feel the bass. And yeah, it’s something I really love doing, but there’s something about a band playing Rock ‘n’ Roll, playing music with instruments, that Electronic Music… it can’t necessarily replicate. It can compliment it really well, but live music is always something that’s really soulful.

DQ: There’s always gonna be live music!

Luca: Always gonna be live music!

TNP: Do you guys wish more electronic acts would go the live route?

Luca: Hey, no!

TNP: Really?

Luca: So that we can be the dons! [Everyone laughs]

TNP: Touche, touche! So how’d you guys all get together? How’d you bring the others in the band on board?

DQ: Well, I met Luca through clubbing in NYC. Mutual friends. Prince Terrence from Hussle Club hit me up at 4:30 in the morning and was like, “Hey, you want to play drums for Drop The Lime?” And I was like, “Okay!”

Kaicee: I actually was just having a visit to New York, because I’m from Philadelphia as well, and I was there with some friends at this little bar singing karaoke. Singing some Johnny Cash — actually the song “Jackson” — and saw Luca at the bar. We got to chattin’ and realized we had a lot in common music-wise… as well as whiskey. [Laughs] And it went from there.

Kaicee

TNP: Are you going to continue touring as a Rockabilly band?

Luca: Hey, hey! Let’s set the record straight a little. We’re not a Rockabilly band. Y’know, I’d say we’re a Rock ‘n’ Roll band with Electronic Music. Because we love everything! We love a little bit of Western, we love a little bit of Blues, we love a little bit of Rockabilly, but…

Kaicee: Ain’t it the truth!

DQ: We all have crazy, eclectic musical tastes.

Luca: Yeah, our musical taste is fucked up. It’s fucked up!

DQ: Yeah, it probably covers every artist, in the whole entire world. [Laughs]

TNP: Speaking of that, if you could collaborate with any artist in the world — any artist in the world — who would you guys go with?

DQ: I would choose uh… Dolly Parton! [Luca and Kaicee “OOOOHHHHH!!!!!”] And let’s get a little… uh… maybe some Orbital in there. [More “OOOOOHHHHHH!!!!”]

Kaicee: I won’t say nothin’ bad about that, Dolly’s my gal.

Luca: Damn, I like that. Go get some classics.

DQ: We’ll put that out next year.

Luca: Yeah, next year! And on that record, let’s get Rick Rubin to produce it! [Laughs]

Kaicee: And of course if Johnny Cash was here, he’d let us come along. I’m certain of it.

DQ

TNP: So are you guys recording a live album eventually?

Luca: The first album, Enter the Night, comes out on Ultra in July, and the single comes out May 16th. It’s called “Bandit Blues.” And definitely for the second album, it’ll be even more band oriented — still electronic — but with more collaborative work.

TNP: Would you like to see more live acts on T&B? Are you considering signing more?

Luca: We are considering it, yeah. Right now we have Little Jinder, and her live show is a band now. Her new single, “Keep On Dreamin,’” is actually produced by Flinch and 12th Planet… and it’s gonna be a big one. And yeah, another guy who’s going to be doing a live act is Deathface.

TNP: No way!

Luca: Yeah, he’s got a new female singer with him. And she’s awesome. And he’s got a new drummer and everything. It’s cool, it’s like Death-Gabbercore-Dubstep. [Laughs] It’s basically, y’know… I think we make the Devil’s music smile. Deathface makes the Devil’s music vomit! [Everyone laughs]

TNP: Haha, I think that’s a great note to leave this on. Thanks a lot for your time, guys!

Luca, Kaicee, and DQ: Thank you!

Drop The Lime Live!

If you’re reading in from the Austin area, be sure to check out Trouble & Bass’s all-day bash tomorrow @ Barcelona, featuring DJ sets from Drop The Lime, Deathface, The Captain, Samo Sound Boy, Willy Joy, and more! I know I’ll be there!

The Heads Up For Today, 03/16

Tonight I’m headed off to Barcelona (gonna be puttin’ in some hours there these next couple days) to catch Clicks & Whistles (finally), Lando Kal, and xxxy!

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